Irish Scones and Sewing Machines

Boy, I’m getting good at titles with dual topics lately. LOL Once again, these two topics are totally unrelated.

I purchased Hogan’s Irish Scone Mix and a jar of Hogan’s Lemon Curd from igourment.com. I love scones…at least the ones I’m used to. I’ve had scones from an English tea room and from Panera, among other places. They’ve always been kind of dense, almost reminding me of the consistency of shortbread or something similar. So I made my scones last night. They’re biscuits. Not exactly like my homemade biscuits I eat with gravy, but very, very biscuit-like. I was disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, they were very good, they just weren’t what I was expecting. So my question is this (Claire Farrell, you have to chime in)…are Irish scones different from English scones? Or are the English scones I’ve been getting here in the US not really scones at all? Does anyone know?

Okay, I said, when I was talking about getting my kitty playhouse from Amazon, that I would tell what else I got from Amazon. It was a sewing machine. I’ve had this sudden burning desire to SEW SOMETHING. And it’s been years since I’ve done any sewing. My old sewing machine is somewhere in the attic. I don’t know where. This new one is computerized, so you can change stitches without changing a disc. Now I’m panicking because I’m afraid I CAN’T DO IT! My machine has some bells and whistles my old one didn’t have, and until I learn how to use them, it looks like it makes things harder instead of easier. Did I just waste my money on a whim? Or will I really be able to do this? Tune in later for further updates. 🙂

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17 Responses

Scones are basically (usually) sweet biscuits. If you’re getting something called “scones” somewhere that resemble more a cookie or something super dense, then they aren’t making them right or they’ve been sitting out and hardening in the bakery case.

The scones I’ve had other places are sometimes even triangular in shape. and they are dense. I like them better. However, I did manage to eat quite a few of these before making myself stop. LOL. Lemon curd makes anything good anyway. 🙂

I’ve sewn on all manner of machines, vintage machines with cams, pre-electric treadle machines, all manner of modern mechanical and more modern computerized, and different industrial models that sew at shocking rates of speed. (Sewing is the thing where I actually am an expert–I’ve done more than my 10,000 hours.) While they seem different, they’re all shockingly similar, once you get to know them. Don’t be freaked out by what’s different; try to see what’s the same as what you know. And don’t feel like you need to master everything the machine can do. If it’s meeting your needs and you’re enjoying it, it’s not a waste of money to let some of those features sit dormant. You can come back to the more advanced stuff later. First things first, just focus on learning to wind the bobbin and thread it correctly and do some simple projects. If you need help, I make house calls.

Re: Scones
I’m always disappointed by scones out and about and have wondered the same thing. I want them to be closer to biscuits. Mine are heavy, kind of moist, chewier on the inside than my actual biscuits. Which is closer to the first scone I ever had from a Scottish bakery on Martha’s Vineyard. When I get scones other places they’re usually harder, drier, crumblier than I want them to be. I always wonder if this is what they’re supposed to be if they’re just stale.

I really need to take baby steps with the machine instead of feeling so overwhelmed. What I really, really want to sew is something I’ve wanted for a long time. Just a skirt with red lining and black lace over it. It can even be elastic waisted because I always wear blouses out…never tucked in. Then maybe a simple red or black blouse (I love baby doll tops) to go with it. That’s what I really want to make. I may be calling on you for help from time to time if I can’t figure something out. 🙂

I actually like the scones that AREN’T like biscuits. But maybe they just weren’t true scones. I guess the reason I was disappointed is because I can make really good biscuits already. I was wanting something different. But, after seeing Kait’s comment, it seems scones are really supposed to be like biscuits. So I had some for breakfast this morning with lemon curd.

See, the scones I’ve been getting here in America aren’t really scones, then. But I really like them. I plan on having more of the scones for dessert tonight. Ooh, I wish I still had some of that Devon cream left. I don’t care for jam (the seeds), but I really love eating the scones with lemon curd. And, mmmm, butter. Kerry Gold Irish butter. I’m sensing an Irish theme here….

I just tried to find an example on google images, but none of them look like our usual scones. Lol.

There are lots of different kinds of scones. I don’t know what biscuits taste like so can’t compare those.

I mostly eat fruit scones or soda scones, but with both I use butter and jam. They’re like a cross between a bread and a cake, I suppose. Some scones are hard and dense, some are soft. I’ll eat either.

I’m not into cheesy scones, but in general I love scones. 🙂

Can’t believe you use Kerry Gold! 😀

And you’ll figure out the sewing machine – all new things seem harder at first. Once you get used to it, you’ll be fine.

I’m used to the harder, denser scones. The ones I made were harder on the outside and soft on the inside…like a biscuit, even though you haven’t tasted one. LOL.

Is using Kerry Gold a good thing or a bad thing? The butter in the US isn’t as rich and flavorful. And I noticed the Irish butter had an expiration date of a year from now. My best friend told me once that all European butter lasts longer than US butter. Apparently, that’s true.

I was overwhelmed by my sewing machine, but it was late at night when I started reading the instructions, so that was probably part of my problem. LOL

I admire and respect anyone who can sew clothing! I don’t have the geo-spacial skills required to ….oh, nevermind. lol. I do enjoy machine quilting, however, and have made three quilts! Squares and triangles…that I can manage – although I haven’t sewed a straight seam in my life…Ha! What will you make first???

I’ve wondered about the scone thing myself, but I do know some are sweeter over here than what my aunt liked. My great aunt was from England, so I was exposed to some of her cooking/tastes, growing up…like mincemeat pie. I think I’m one of the few people in Michigan, who even know what that it is! We use to have it at Christmas time, though sometimes she brought one at Thanksgiving, just to mix things up a little. We have some eclectic traditions!

I’ve got 2 “regular” machines, a fancy machine that does fun stitches, and one that uses a treadle. Honestly, when all you’re doing is straight stitching, they’re really all pretty much the same. The best thing about the newer machines, is the button hole stitches. If you can spend an afternoon learning that, you can save a fortune on zippers! I think zippers are a pain in the tush, by comparison, and there are sooooo many fun things you can do with buttons!